Learn to Change, Learn to Lead

The Leadership in Changing Times course at the 2014 Summer Institute for Public Health Practice offers tools and skills for improving individual and organizational success.

Bud Nicola, MD, MHSA

The Leadership in Changing Times course at the 2014 Summer Institute for Public Health Practice offers tools and skills for improving individual and organizational success.

May 12, 2014

Know thyself. It’s a well-worn phrase, but one that still resonates when it comes to leadership development. According to NWCPHP faculty member Bud Nicola, MD, MHSA, the ability to reflect on who you are and how you interact with others is the first and most important step in becoming a great leader.

Says Nicola, “Good leaders have emotional intelligence and can recognize the impact they have on those around them.”

Nicola acknowledges, just like people, organizations have personalities and they reflect the characteristics of their leaders. For this reason, course members are encouraged to reflect on their own personality traits and consider how those traits influence their organization's operations.

Participants will learn to analyze their organization as a set of systems and will develop skills to improve its practices. Two of these critical skills are successfully planning for change and articulating a strong organizational vision. Nicola notes that developing and operationalizing an overarching vision is difficult because we have so many daily responsibilities competing for our attention. Says Nicola, “Although it’s easier to do the next task on our list, we must take time to step back and strategize a thoughtful approach to our work.”

Susan Allan, MD, JD, MPH

The leadership course is intended for public health leaders and managers at any organizational level. It is designed to be highly interactive and to draw on the expertise of class members as well as guest speakers. Participants work in small groups, discussing case studies with real-world examples on topics such as cross-cultural collaboration and change management.

When thinking about how an agency could benefit from sending employees, co-instructor Susan Allan notes, "Public health organizations and those that do similar work are very interested in two things that this course can help address: encouraging innovative thinking and succession planning to develop emerging leaders. This course starts the participants down both those paths."

Just as important as building essential leadership skills, participants will build their professional network. Nicola comments, “We want participants to use this class as an opportunity to make professional connections to carry the work forward after they leave.”

For more information on how to register for this course, visit the Summer Institute website. Early bird discounts end May 31, 2014. Final registration closes July 1, 2014.